Transportation planners from across the region have joined together to examine the
feasibility of Fast Lanes on major highways in the Charlotte region. The
study will determine the technical, financial and institutional feasibility of
dedicating lanes on major highways in the Charlotte region for active traffic
management.

In 2007, the Charlotte Department of
Transportation (CDOT), the North Carolina
Department of Transportation (NCDOT), the
South Carolina Department of Transportation
(SCDOT) and other agencies in the Charlotte
region began an examination of existing and
planned major highways throughout a
10-county area to identify where Fast Lanes
– high-occupancy vehicle (HOV),
high-occupancy toll (HOT) or truck-only toll
facilities – could help manage congestion
during peak travel periods. Phase I screened
freeways and other Strategic Highway
Corridors to identify the most promising
corridors for Fast Lanes. The study’s second
phase included evaluations of physical
designs, operational requirements, revenues
and costs for roadways that remained after
Phase I screening.

In 2009, the City of Charlotte submitted a
proposal to the Federal Highway
Administration to receive funding from the
Value Pricing Program in order to advance to
a third phase of the Fast Lanes Study. The
application was approved in 2010, and NCDOT
provided the required non-federal match in
2011.

The objectives of Phase III of the Fast
Lanes Study include:

Build on Phase I and II results

Familiarize the public with the
concept of congestion pricing

Develop a better understanding of
policy and technical issues associated
with congestion pricing

Determine public acceptance for the
next managed lanes project(s). I-77 North
between Charlotte and Mooresville is
expected to be the first corridor with HOT
lanes. US-74 East between Charlotte and
Matthews and I-485 South between Pineville
and Matthews will be the focal study
corridors in Phase III.